Abstract: A method of producing thermoplastic particles may comprise: mixing a melt emulsion comprising (a) a continuous phase that comprises a carrier fluid having a polarity Hansen solubility parameter (dP) of about 7 MPa0.5 or less, (b) a dispersed phase that comprises a dispersing fluid having a dP of about 8 MPa0.5 or more, and (c) an inner phase that comprises a thermoplastic polyester at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polyester and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the thermoplastic polyester in the dispersed phase; and cooling the melt emulsion to below the melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polyester to form solidified particles comprising the thermoplastic polyester.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a processor configured to present all functions provided by plural image processing apparatuses connected to one another on a network, the plural image processing apparatuses providing different functions and receive, as shared setting information, settings of functions to be used by all the plural image processing apparatuses among all the functions presented.

Abstract: Methods for producing a polyamide having an optical absorber pendent from the polyamide's backbone (OAMB-polyamide) may comprise: esterifying a hydroxyl-pendent optical absorber with a halogen-terminal aliphatic acid to yield a halogen-terminal alkyl-optical absorber; and N-alkylating a polyamide with the halogen-terminal alkyl-optical absorber to yield the OAMB-polyamide. Other methods for producing an OAMB-polyamide may comprise: esterifying a carboxyl-pendent optical absorber with a halogen-terminal aliphatic alcohol to yield a halogen-terminal alkyl-optical absorber; and N-alkylating a polyamide with the modified optical absorber to yield a polyamide having the OAMB-polyamide.

Abstract: An electrostatic-image developing toner includes toner particles, aggregated silica particles A treated with an oil, and aggregated or non-aggregated silica particles B rendered hydrophobic with a hydrophobizing agent other than an oil. The average particle size Da of the aggregated silica particles A and the average particle size Db of the silica particles B satisfy Da?Db. The electrostatic-image developing toner does not include any external additive other than the aggregated silica particles A or the silica particles B, or the electrostatic-image developing toner includes an external additive other than the aggregated silica particles A or the silica particles B, the other external additive having an average particle size smaller than the average particle size Da.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to receive biopotential information of each of a plurality of users, and transmit, to a device, operation information indicating operation content determined by comparing the operation contents of the device, the operation contents being recognized from the biopotential information of the plurality of users.

Abstract: Additive manufacturing processes, such as powder bed fusion of thermoplastic particulates, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of printed objects. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced during additive manufacturing processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a thermoplastic printing composition, converting a portion of the metal precursor to discontinuous metal islands using laser irradiation, and performing electroless plating. Suitable printing compositions may comprise a plurality of thermoplastic particulates comprising a thermoplastic polymer, a metal precursor admixed with the thermoplastic polymer, and optionally a plurality of nanoparticles disposed upon an outer surface of each of the thermoplastic particulates, wherein the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon exposure to laser irradiation. Melt emulsification may be used to form the thermoplastic particulates.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a failure information obtaining unit, a handling method definition holding unit, in each of which a handling method to be executed for a failure possible in the monitoring target system is described, a selection unit selecting a handling method definition corresponding to the failure occurred in the monitoring target system, an execution unit performing a handling process, a handling result determination unit determining whether a result of execution of the handling process by the execution unit is a predetermined result, and an output unit, if the handling result determination unit determines that the result of the execution is the predetermined result, outputting information indicating an operator need not perform a handling process and, if the handling result determination unit determines the result of the execution is not the predetermined result, outputting information indicating that the operator needs to perform a handling process.

Abstract: A method of making thermoplastic polymer particles may include mixing in an extruder a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the thermoplastic polymer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the thermoplastic polymer in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer to form solidified particles comprising thermoplastic polymer particles having a circularity of 0.90 or greater and that comprise the thermoplastic polymer; and separating the solidified particles from the carrier fluid.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a processor. The processor is configured to set an image position of a reference image in a transport direction of a recording medium to an arbitrary position on a specific page of the recording medium. The reference image is formed using a first color and serves as a reference for an image position of an image of a second color to be formed after the image of the first color is formed. The processor is also configured to adjust the image position for the second color on an adjacent page, located adjacently upstream of the specific page in the transport direction, by using image information of the reference image formed on the specific page.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an editing reception unit and a providing unit. The editing reception unit provides to each user an editing screen on which at least one part of a document is displayed and receives from the user editing on the at least one part of the document displayed on the editing screen being provided to the user. The providing unit provides to the user information regarding editing currently being performed by a different user on a part of the document not displayed on the editing screen being provided to the user.

Abstract: Melt emulsification may be employed to form elastomeric particulates in a narrow size range when nanoparticles and a sulfonate surfactant are included as emulsion stabilizers. Such processes may comprise combining a polyurethane polymer, a sulfonate surfactant, and nanoparticles with a carrier fluid at a heating temperature at or above a melting point or softening temperature of the polyurethane polymer, applying sufficient shear to disperse the polyurethane polymer as liquefied droplets in the presence of the nanoparticles in the carrier fluid at the heating temperature, cooling the carrier fluid at least until elastomeric particulates in a solidified state form, and separating the elastomeric particulates from the carrier fluid. The polyurethane polymer defines a core and an outer surface of the elastomeric particulates, and the nanoparticles are associated with the outer surface. The elastomeric particulates may have a span of about 0.9 or less.

Abstract: A method for producing highly spherical polymer particles comprising a polyamide having an optical absorber in a backbone of the polyamide (IBOA-polyamide) may comprise: mixing a mixture comprising the IBOA-polyamide, a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the IBOA-polyamide, and optionally an emulsion stabilizer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the IBOA-polyamide and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the IBOA-polyamide in the carrier fluid; and cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the IBOA-polyamide to form particles comprising the IBOA-polyamide and the emulsion stabilizer, when present, associated with an outer surface of the particles.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding unit that holds an image that is formed of a developer, the image being intended to be transferred onto a medium, and an image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium, a transfer unit that transfers the image that is intended to be transferred onto a medium onto a medium, a removing unit that removes the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium from the image holding unit, and a forming unit that forms the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium onto the image holding unit by using a developer and that has a first forming mode for a first medium and a second forming mode for a second medium that has a transfer sensitivity lower than a transfer sensitivity of the first medium, the forming unit being configured to use a larger amount of the developer in formation of the image that is not intended to be transferred onto a medium in the first forming mode than in the second forming mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer belt that carries a toner image first transferred and is rotated to transport the toner image to a second transfer position; a second transfer belt that is rotated to come into contact with the intermediate transfer belt and pass through the second transfer position of the intermediate transfer belt; a plate-like cleaning unit that comes into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the second transfer belt to clean the outer circumferential surface; and a dispersion unit that comes into contact with a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second transfer belt to disperse toner which passes through the portion on a downstream side of the cleaning unit and on an upstream side of the second transfer position.

Abstract: A heating device includes at least one heat-generating member that generates heat by being supplied with power supplied by a shared power source and a controller that performs control in such a manner that, when the shared power source starts supplying power to the heat-generating member, a rated power is supplied to the heat-generating member after power that is 33% output or 67% output of the rated power has been supplied to the heat-generating member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrying unit that carries an image to be transferred to a sheet which is brought into contact with the image carrying unit and passed through; a separation unit that separates the sheet from the image carrying unit; and a removal unit that comes into contact with the image carrying unit, and removes toner remaining after the sheet passes through the separation unit. A non-transferred toner image that is not transferred to the sheet is formed in a range, where the separation unit is not present, of the image carrying unit.

Abstract: A method for producing polyamide particles may include: mixing a mixture comprising a polyamide, a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the polyamide, and nanoparticles at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the polyamide and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the polyamide in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the polyamide to form solidified particles comprising polyamide particles having a circularity of 0.90 or greater and that comprise the polyamide and the nanoparticles associated with an outer surface of the polyamide particles; and separating the solidified particles from the carrier fluid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier configured to carry an image; a transfer unit configured to transfer the image to a medium; and a cleaner configured to remove deposits on a surface of the image carrier after passing through a position of the transfer unit, in which when a type of a medium to be used is a first medium, the cleaner improves an ability to remove the deposits from the image carrier as compared with a case where the medium to be used is a second medium having a lower transfer sensitivity than the first medium.

Abstract: A biological information measuring apparatus includes a processor. The processor is configured to obtain information, and if the obtained information indicates that a condition is currently not suitable for measuring biological information of a living body wearing a body of the apparatus, output a guide to a suitable condition for measuring the biological information of the living body.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a memory; and a processor configured to cause information indicating that a first user who has an authority to operate an apparatus is prohibited from operating the apparatus to be displayed on an operation screen of the first user in a case where the first user has commissioned a second user to operate the apparatus but attempts to operate the apparatus by himself or herself.